


A Love Like a Roar

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 02:25:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4204440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A defining moment of Harry's life came in his sophomore year of high school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Love Like a Roar

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from New Constellations by Ryn Weaver.

A defining moment of Harry's life came in his sophomore year of high school. Moving away from Holmes Chapel and away from all his friends should have terrified him, and it did in the back of his mind. But, he chose to look at it as a blessing in disguise. Harry was nothing if not optimistic back then, and he looking back on it all, he wishes he would have guarded himself a bit better. But, you live and you learn, or something like that.

 

The defining moment had a name, and that was Louis Tomlinson. Harry often wonders to this day why they picked him. Maybe it was the fact that he was one of the only openly gay people in the school. That, on top of the fact that was considered 'fresh meat' since he was new, probably played a role, too. Whatever it was that drew Louis and his asshole friends in, he was there. Right besides Harry as he walked down the hallway about a week after he arrived. 

Harry had seen this boy around, of course. Who hadn't? Louis was one of those people that everyone knew, as cliche as it sounded. He wasn't captain of any team, or anything equally as cringe worthy. No, he was just loud, and charismatic, and seemingly never had a bad day. He was perfect, in nearly every sense of the word from an outside view. That should have tipped Harry off.

 

"So, Harry Styles, how's Doncaster treating you?" Louis asked. Those were the first words the boy had spoken to Harry, and he can still remember them vividly. Harry had loved the way he had just walked up and talked to him like they'd known each other for years. His heart had began beating faster just at the way that Louis knew his name.

 

The two of them chatted about things as simple as the weather to Harry's life leading up to his big move to Doncaster. It wasn't until later that Harry noticed how calculated it all seemed. It was almost as if Louis had practiced the words he was speaking, like their conversation was written down in a script and they were just performing a scene, playing roles. Back then, Harry had imagined it as fate, thinking their conversations flowed so easily because they were destined together, whether that be as friends or lovers. Now, all Harry knew it to be was lies.

 

The two of them slowly grew closer, and went out on a few dates before it became official. Harry was officially Louis Tomlinson's boyfriend™ and officially smitten.

 

But, this was when the cracks started showing. Louis had told him very little about his life, he was only ever focused on Harry. It was like he was hesitant to share anything. Looking back on it, Harry understood why now. Nearly all of what he did say turned out to be lies... Well, Harry couldn't decipher what were lies and what was the truth.

 

Stories began getting tangled. One week, Louis was share something with Harry, and the next it would be the same story, just with slightly different details. There would be enough difference that Harry took notice, it wasn't just a slip of the memory. It was a lie. But, Harry ignored it. Harry ignored it because despite what his mind was telling him, his heart was pleading with him to stay with Louis.

 

The moments that he got to see Louis being real were nice. Harry could always tell when his boyfriend's guard came down, and little bits of the truth would come out. It never lasted, but it felt nice. It felt lie validation that Louis trusted him, even if it was just a little bit. 

 

The day it all came crashing down was a Friday. It was towards the end of the year when Louis decided it all some game. A game that Harry had been unknowingly playing all year long. A senior prank, the best one the student body had ever seen. Somehow, Louis pretending to be gay and dating Harry all year long was the funniest thing anyone had ever seen. Even people Harry had called friends were laughing at him.

 

Harry was heartbroken, and strangely enough, not just for himself. No matter how much of it was an act, there was one thing that was undeniable: Louis wasn't as straight as he claimed to be. Harry knew what it felt like to be there, and no matter how much it hurt to have someone play a game with his heart, what Louis was going through hurt even more.

 

Harry's heart ached for a long time, and school was hell. After the year was over, his mother pulled him out and he began home schooling. He went off to college, got a degree, then a job. And, he was happy. He had loved and lost after Louis, but nothing was quite as humiliating as what Louis did to him. Nothing hurt quite as much, either, and Louis crossed his mind more times than he'd ever admit, with Harry just wondering and hoping desperately that Louis had finally gotten the chance to be himself.

 

His answer came just a few years outside of college. Harry came down to Doncaster to visit him family where they were still living when he saw Louis again. Harry had been picking up a few groceries for his mother when he stopped in his tracks, seeing the man down the aisle. He had aged a bit, but it was clearly him. What he was missing, however, was the joy in his eyes like he had when he and Harry were together. What Harry was met with was a man that looked just like Louis, but with dull eyes and a ring on his finger. Their eyes met, and Harry swore he saw a small twinkle in Louis' eye, but it could have been his eyes playing tricks on him.

 

Harry waved over at him, a bit hesitantly, and Louis took a step his way when a woman rounded the corner. He heard her mutter, 'What's taking you so long?', and with that Louis' face fell, turning away from his old lover and towards her instead. Harry turned on his heel and walked out of the aisle. He'd seen all he needed to.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys like it!! I wrote this in one night after random inspiration struck. Kudos and comments are always welcome!!


End file.
